Reflections on life in the global village

CHOM-FM still rockin’ after all these years

While most of my older friends and colleagues in Canada long ago started doing the rocking chair thing with the likes of CBC Radio, I am still rockin’ on my feet to the beat of CHOM-FM (97.7) in Montreal. It has been a long love affair for me and for many Montrealers. CHOM has been providing us with musical nourishment for 45 years, to the day on Oct. 28, TooTall mentioned on air Monday. And the station is marking its anniversary with special programming during the next few weeks.

It’s hard to express everything this station has meant to me over the years. It has been such an important part of my life, inspiring me in so many ways — from the moment I rise most mornings. It’s more than just the music, of course. It’s the people on air, and those who work behind the scenes. From Doug Pringle and Tootall and Terry DiMonte to Rob Kemp and Ronnie Mack and so many others, CHOM has always had a knack for hiring great on-air folks, some of whom I’ve been fortunate enough to chat with. I’ve also had the chance to chat with some of the behind-the-scenes people — when I used to do the Gazette’s radio listings — and I can tell you they were/are just as hip and as nice as their on-air staff is.

There is no doubt in my mind that CHOM is the crown jewel in Bell Media’s assets — even if the station displaced Zep’s Stairway to Heaven from the No. 1 spot (to No. 2) in its recent Top 500. Hey, everybody makes mistakes, eh?

Smiles . . .

So, to everybody at CHOM past and present, thanks for all the great music, and for doing what you do so well.